Music and Music Education Program - May 30, 2019

Revised certification requirements - previously parts 3 and 4 (aural exam and recital)

The Certification Exam: Musicianship is meant to demonstrate students’ understanding of

music as an artistic practice and a sociocultural phenomenon. The exam has four parts to be
completed in the course of one semester, two that are directly associated with a single
performance, and two that are connected to the specific music performed:
● A recording of the musical performance
● Program notes on the performed material written for a general audience
● A 1000-word essay analyzing formal, structural, and sociocultural components of one
selection considering questions such as, but not limited to:
How is this piece constructed?
How does the piece reflect the historical, political, or cultural settings in which it is
situated?
How does my performance/interpretation of the piece compare with other
versions/ recordings of the piece?
● A 1000-word essay analyzing the pedagogical functions or applications of one different
selection, considering questions such as, but not limited to:
What particular technical challenges does this piece present?
What interpretive challenges does this piece present?
How might I use this piece in a variety of contexts with students of different ages,
backgrounds, or abilities?

Students must register for the Recital 6058 (for zero or 1 credit) for this performance and
submissions of the recording, program notes, and two essays will be made via CANVAS.
Students taking this exam will be added to CANVAS when they declare their intent to take the
exam so that they can make their submissions online. This exam will not be held in person and
is to be completed as described below.

REQUIREMENTS

The Program Draft - submitted to student’s advisor

A program draft outlines the proposed program of music to be performed and should be created
in consultation with the faculty advisor.

Students will propose the program draft in the semester before the one in which they plan to
complete the project*. The draft should be in word document format and shared with the
student’s advisor via any mutually convenient method.

The draft will include the list of works/songs/beats/scores/ to be performed along with their with
titles and composers/creators. Students might consider the idea of an organizing theme or
narrative when choosing repertoire. See CANVAS site for examples.
Guidelines:
The music can be solo, ensemble, collaborative, or a combination.
The music can be composed by others, or with others, or self-composed.
The music can be improvised or notated.
The music should include at least two contrasting genres, styles, or historical periods.
For EdD candidates, there should be at least 30 minutes of music, with up to 30 minutes of
other performance material (monologue, soliloquy, explanations, definitions, dance, etc.)
For EdD CT candidates, there should be at least 45 minutes of music with up to 30 minutes of
other performance material (monologue, soliloquy, explanations, definitions, dance, etc.)

Once approved by the advisor who will sign the program draft, the student will identify one
piece, in consultation with their advisor, that will be used for the essay on formal, structural, and
sociocultural analysis and one piece, in consultation with their advisor, that will be used for the
essay on pedagogical applications.

The Program Recording, Program Notes, and Analyses - submitted on

CANVAS

1. The performance - performance recording submitted via CANVAS

Scheduled any time, anywhere. Should be video-recorded and submitted for faculty review via
YouTube stream/url, DVD, or other .mov or .mp4 file sharing method via CANVAS.

Expectations: The performance should demonstrate high levels of expressivity, musical skill,
with musicianship and fluidity across or within multiple styles, genres, and modalities.
Performers should take an original approach and perform with creative flair and persuasiveness.

2. Program notes - submitted via CANVAS

Guidelines:
Write informative program notes with specific details about each piece. Explain the music/s in
relevant terms with descriptions based on the approved program draft.

In the program notes, students might also consider including how they chose the repertoire. A
story or theme of the program could be highlighted, an illustration of how the performer will
engage with co-performers / audience could be given, or a narrative of the performance could
also be shared.
The program notes must be submitted to via CANVAS
See example provided in CANVAS in “resources folder”

3. Structural analysis and sociocultural analysis essay - submitted via CANVAS

Essay Instructions: Analyze the structural and sociocultural elements of one piece using genre-
specific vocabulary and/or multimodal terms as appropriate to the genre/style/culturality of the
selected piece.

4. Pedagogical analysis and application essay- submitted via CANVAS

Essay Instructions: Analyze the pedagogical implications of a different piece (to the piece
selected in 3.) and describe how you might use it in a pedagogical setting or for pedagogical
purposes.

Criteria for selection of pieces:

Discuss with the faculty advisor when preparing the program draft - see section above.

Guidelines for essays: Students should include sub-headings (such as Structural Analysis,
Multimodal Interpretations, Sociocultural Analysis, Pedagogical Implications, and Pedagogical
Uses/Applications) for each essay, 3 and 4 respectively. There are four parts to the document
for each essay: (I) The title page, where word count and keywords should be listed, along with
the author name and essay title, (II) the abstract on the abstract page should summarize the
contents of the essay in 200 words or less, (III) the body of the essay, and (IV) the references
for citations used in the essay.

The essays should use analytic writing. They should demonstrate students’ ability to think
critically and communicate their thoughts about the music. Each essay should be logically
organized, use effective, smooth and logical transitions, and be in APA format in one word.docx
file. Students may include citations but also must include a reference list. There should not be
punctuation or mechanical errors. Students should use scholarly vocabulary and sentence
structure that varies in structure and length. Students should use and manipulate subject-
specific vocabulary for effect and keep their writer’s tone clear, consistent and appropriate for an
academic audience. The central idea in each essay should be well developed and the clarity of
purpose should be exhibited. There should be an abundance of evidence of critical, careful
thought, and analysis and/or insight. Evidence and examples are vivid and specific, while the
focus of the essay remains clear. Please see the evaluation rubric provided.

If students have already completed their recital, they will complete parts 3 and 4 only.

If students have already completed both the aural exam and the recital performance, they
will not complete any part of this exam.

If students have already completed their aural exam, they will complete parts 1 and 2
only.
*Note: anyone planning a performance for Fall 2019 should submit a performance
program draft to their advisor within the first two weeks of the Fall 2019 semester.